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Daily Readings for Sunday, May 21, 2017

1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty;
the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 2 your throne is established from of old;
you are from everlasting.

3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD,
the floods have lifted up their voice;
the floods lift up their roaring. 4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
more majestic than the waves of the sea,
majestic on high is the LORD!

1 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty firmament! 2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp! 4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe! 5 Praise him with clanging cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

First Reading Deuteronomy 15:1-11

1 Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts. 2 And this is the manner of the remission: every creditor shall remit the claim that is held against a neighbor, not exacting it of a neighbor who is a member of the community, because the Lord’s remission has been proclaimed. 3 Of a foreigner you may exact it, but you must remit your claim on whatever any member of your community owes you. 4 There will, however, be no one in need among you, because the LORD is sure to bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a possession to occupy, 5 if only you will obey the LORD your God by diligently observing this entire commandment that I command you today. 6 When the LORD your God has blessed you, as he promised you, you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; you will rule over many nations, but they will not rule over you.

7 If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. 8 You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be. 9 Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought, thinking, “The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,” and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the LORD against you, and you would incur guilt. 10Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. 11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.”

Second Reading 1 Timothy 3:14-4:5

14I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, 15if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. 16Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great:
He was revealed in flesh,
vindicated in spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among Gentiles,
believed in throughout the world,
taken up in glory.

1Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2through the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared with a hot iron. 3They forbid marriage and demand abstinence from foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving; 5for it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

Gospel Reading Matthew 13:24-34a

24He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”

33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”

34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing.

Evening Psalm 136

1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever. 3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

4 who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 5 who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 6 who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 7 who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 13 who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 16 who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 17 who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 18 and killed famous kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 22 a heritage to his servant Israel,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever; 25 who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

26 O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Evening Psalm 117

1 Praise the LORD, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD!